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:al  Series  Vol.  I.  No.  I. 


General  Series  Vol.  1.  No.  I. 


THE       / 
NIVERSITY  OF  tyOTRE  DAME 

/  s 

STUDIES 


THE    MICHIGAN    ESSAY 

""MICHIGAN'S  FIRST  NEWSPAPER 


BY 


PAUL  J.  FOIK,  C.  S.  C,  Ph.  D. 


Published  by 

THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  NOTRE  DAME, 
Notre  Dame,  Ind. 


THE  MICHIGAN  ESSAY 


BY   THE    REV.    PAUL    FOIK,    C,    S.    C.,    PH.    D. 
Librarian  of  the  University  of  Notre  Dame. 


The  earliest  effort  in  Catholic  pioneer  journalism 
began  in  the  first  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century 
when,  in  1809,  Rev.  Father  Gabriel  Richard  of  Detroit 
made  possible  the  publication  of  the  Michigan  Essay 
or  Impartial  Observer.  If  we  examine  the  conditions  in 
the  Northwest  at  this  time,  we  see  the  absolute 
need  of  a  newspaper  in  the  vast  and  sparsely 
settled  territory  of  Michigan.  Its  people  were,  for 
the  most  part,  French,  unacquainted  with  the  English 
tongue,  and  many  of  them  rude  and  uninstructed  even 
in  their  own  language.* 

Those  who  know  the  history  of  this  territory  in 
those  early  days  will  remember  also  the  activities  of 
Father  Richard  as  an  educator,  f  The  establishment  of 
this  periodical  was  part  of  his  comprehensive  scheme 
for  the  enlightenment  of  the  people  of  his  own  flock 
and  of  the  territory  at  large.  As  an  initial  step  in  such 

*  Contributions  to  American  Educational  History  edited 
by  Herbert  B.  Adams.  History  of  Higher  Education  in  Michigan 
Serial  No.  n  by  Andrew  C.  McLaughlin,  Government  Pub- 
lication, Bureau  of  Education,  whole  No.  174,  Circular  of 
Information  No.  4,  Washington  Government  Printing  Office, 
1891,  p.  ii. 

t  See  Article  by  Rev.  J.  J.  O'Brien  in  the  Historical  Records 
and  Studies  of  the  United  States  Catholic  Historical  Society 
of  New  York.  Vol.  V.  Part  I.  Nov.  1907,  pp.  77-94. 

See  also  Metropolitan  Catholic  Almanac   1855  pp.  43-57 
See  also  annals  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  1800  to  1830- 


M152842 


4  ,   THE    MICHIGAN    ESSAY 

a  plan  for  the  uplifting  of  his  fellow-citizens,  the  news- 
paper was  perhaps  the  best  means  that  he  could  have 
•employed. 

We  may  regard  this  scheme  of  Father  Richard 
as  one  of  the  determining  causes  which  gave  o  this 
country  its  first  Catholic  periodical.  Another  considera- 
tion which  hastened  its  establishment  was  the  loss 
occasioned  by  a  disastrous  fire  that  swept  Detroit  in 
1805.  Hardly  a  building  .was  saved  from  the  fury  of 
this  great  conflagration.  Father  Richard  and  his 
flock  were  compelled  to  seek  temporary  quarters  until 
he  could  devise  some  means  towards  the  rebuilding 
of  St.  Anne's  Church.  With  this  object  in  view,  he 
journeyed  to  Baltimore  in  1808,  and  it  was  on  this 
occasion  that  he  purchased  a  printing  press  and  a 
font  of  type.  These  he  brought  overland  to  Detroit 
and  set  up  at  Spring  Wells  in  the  house  of  Jacques 
Lasselle.* 

Many  persons  have  claimed  for  this  press  the 
honor  of  being  the  first  one  to  be  set  up  throughout 
the  Northwest,  but  it  is  even  questionable  whether 
it  was  the  first  in  operation  in  Detroit  itself;  for  there 
were  proclamations  issued  to  the  people  of  this  vicinity 
by  Lieutenant  Governor  Hamilton  as  early  as  the 
year  1777.  These  were  dated  from  Detroit  showing, 
presumably,  that  they  were  printed  there.  Strange  to  say, 
these  were  the  only  printed  documents  that  were,  over 
a  long  stretch  of  years,  credited  to  Detroit  as  the  place 
of  issue.  We  may  reasonably  conclude  from  this  that 
the  Lieutenant-Governor's  proclamation  was  dated 
from  Detroit  but  printed  elsewhere.  Another  press 
was  owned  by  Alexander  and  William  Macomb  who 
received  it  from  England  in  1785;  but  there  is  no 

*  Historical  Records  and  Studies  of  the  United  States 
Cath.  Hist.  Soc.  Vol.  V.,  Part  i,  p.  85. 


THE    MICHIGAN    ESSAY  5 

evidence  that  it  was  ever  put  in  operation.*  It  has 
been  further  asserted  .  that  the  Michigan  Essay  was 
the  first  paper  printed  in  the  Northwest.  Various  news- 
papers were  already  printed  in  the  Territory  before  1800. 
Cincinnati  and  Chillicothe  early  boasted  of  this  means 
of  enlightenment.  It  is  known  that  Freeman  and  Son 
started  a  newspaper  in  1795.  Chillicothe  established 
two  papers  about  the  same  period.  Before  the  close 
of  the  century  at  least  thirteen  were  being  printed  in 
the  Northwest,  f  That  the  Essay  was  the  first  periodical 
edited  in  that  part  known  as  Michigan  is  a  well  es- 
tablished fact.  | 

Many  misstatements  have  also  been  made  regard- 
ing its  real  publisher  and  editor,  j  The  regular  collec- 
tion and  dispatch  of  news  in  those  days  presupposed 
a  widespread  interest  in  public  affairs.  This  qualifica- 
tion Father  Richard  possessed  to  a  remarkable  degree, 
as  is  well  attested  by  every  local  historian  of  eminence;! 
but  his  religious  duties  and  the  extent  of  his  missionary 


*  American  Catholic  News,  New  York,  Sept.  lyth,  1891, 
p.  5.  Report  of  Don  C.  Henderson's  Speech  of  the  Allegan 
Journal  before  the  West  Michigan  Press  Association  held  at 
Kalamazoo.  Also  Michigan  Historical  and  Pioneer  Collection 
Vol.  13,  p.  394  and  p.  489.  Also  the  Detroit  Free  Press  May 
30th,  1888.  Also  Historical  Records  and  Studies  of  U.  S.  Cath. 
Hist.  Soc.  of  N.  Y.  cited  above,  p.  86. 

f  Circular  of  Information  No.  4.  Bureau  of  Education 
Serial  No.  n.  p.  11  et  seq.,  full  reference  cited  above.  Also  the 
History  of  Printing  in  America  by  Isaiah  Thomas,  Worcester,  1  8  10. 

J  Michigan  Historical  and  Pioneer  Collection  Vol.  13,  p  .394. 

j  Most  reliable  account  is  Silas  Farmer's  History  of  Detroit 
and  Michigan  vol.  I.  pp.  670-671.  The  author  of  this  work 
went  to  Worcester  and  sought  out  in  the  Thomas  Library 
this  periodical;  he  had  a  photograph  made  of  each  sheet  of 
the  first  and  only  issue  of  this  paper. 

§  See  Cooley's  "Michigan,"  Houghton,  Mifflin  &  Co., 
New  York,  pp.  307-311.  See  also  Rev.  J.  J.  O'Brien's  Article 
jn  Historical  Records  &  Studies,  etc.  cited  above. 


•6  THE    MICHIGAN    ESSAY 

labors  did  not  enable  him  to  give  his  time  to  the  pub- 
lishing and  editing  of  this  paper.  He  therefore  placed 
the  publication  of  the  Essay  in 'the  hands  of  a  capable 
layman,  who  could  devote  his  time  exclusively  to  the 
work,  while  the  priest  himself  acted  merely  as  super- 
visor.* That  Father  Richard  was  neither  the  pub- 
lisher nor  the  editor  of  the  Michigan  Essay  is  found  by 
an  examination  of  the  first  issue  of  that  periodical. 
Probably  he  contributed  to  the  French  portion,  but  it 
is  distinctly  stated  on  the  first  page  that  the  paper  was 
printed  and  published  by  James  M.  Miller. 

A  brief  retrospect  of  the  period  preceding  the 
establishment  of  The  Michigan  Essay  will  disclose  many 
facts  of  interest,  touching  the  history  of  journalism. 
Various  methods  have  from  time  to  time  been  used 
for  the  circulation  of  news,  but  we  can  claim  for  Detroit 
and  its  vicinity  the  most  primitive  stage  of  develop- 
ment,— the  ''spoken  newspaper."  Such  indeed  was  the 
means  that  Father  Richard  first  used  to  arouse  interest 
among  the  people,  which  was  afterwards  to  ripen 
into  a  more  active  and  intelligent  participation  in  the 
affairs  of  government.  He  appointed  a  town-crier, 
whose  duty  it  was  to  publish,  every  Sunday,  from  the 
doors  of  St.  Anne's,  news  items  and  matters  of  general 
concern  to  the  waiting  congregation  and  to  the  public 
at  large.  We  are  told  that  not  infrequently,  the  crier 
announced  even  auction  sales,  horse  races,  and  the  date 
of  the  next  fox-hunt.  Sometimes  notices  were  written 


*  History  of  Detroit  and  Michigan  by  Silas  Farmer. 
Catholic  Periodicals  published  in  U.  S.  A.  Supplement  to  a  list 
printed  in  Vol.  4  of  the  Records  of  Cath.  Hist.  Soc.  of  Phila. 
see  p.  6. 

Campbell,  History  of  Michigan.  Tenbrook,  American 
State  Universities.  Michigan  Pioneer  &  Historical  Collection 
Vol.  13  p.  394. 


THE    MICHIGAN    ESSAY  7 

and  posted  in  some  convenient  place  near  the  church. 
For  a  while  the  duties  of  the  crier  were  fulfilled  by 
Theophilus  Mettz,*  the  sacristan  of  St.  Anne's.  Regu- 
larly, after  mass  on  Sundays,  he  stationed  himself  on 
the  steps  of  the  Church,  within  view  of  all  and  there 
made  such  announcements  as  the  eager  people  were 
anxious  to  hear.f 

Though  the  town-crier  performed  his  duties  to 
the  satisfaction  of  all,  his  labors,  nevertheless,  were 
confined  within  narrow  limits.  In  the  first  place,  matters 
of  local  interest  were  his  chief  concern.  When,  per- 
chance, he  did  have  news  from  afar  it  rarely  circulated 
beyond  the  vicinity  of  Detroit.  Consequently  the 
arrival  of  Father  Richard's  press  in  the  territory  was 
hailed  with  great  enthusiasm. 

As  regards  the  paper  about  which  we  are  chiefly 
concerned  the  expectations  of  its  promoters  soon  came 
to  naught.  The  Michigan  Essay  or  Impartial  Observer 
began  its  career  on  August  31,  1809.  It  was  the  in- 
tention of  the  publisher  that  the  paper  should  appear 
every  Thursday.!  Exactly  how  many  issues  did  appear 
we  do  not  know.  Five  copies  of  the  first  publication 
are  all  that  have  been  discovered  up  to  the  present 


*  Theophilus  Mettez  afterwards  became  printer  and  pub- 
lisher. See  Records  &  Studies  of  the  Cath.  Hist.  Soc.  of  N.  Y. 
cited  above. 

t  History  of  Higher  Education  in  Michigan  by  Andrew  C. 
McLaughlin  cited  above  p.  1 1 . 

Also  Records  &  Stduies  of  U.  S.  Cath.  Hist.  Soc.  of  N  Y. 
pp.  74-94. 

t  List  of  Catholic  Periodicals  published  in  U.  S.  Supple- 
mentary list.  Reprint  from  the  Records  of  American  Cath. 
Hist.  Soc.  of  Phila.  by  Rev.  Thomas  Cooke  Middleton.  See 
also  Amer.  Cath.  News,  N.  Y.  Sept.  27,  1891,  p.  5.  Speech 
of  Don  C.  Henderson  cited  above. 


8  THE    MICHIGAN    ESSAY 

time.    Some  have  concluded  from  this  that  the  peri- 
odical immediately  ceased  to  appear.* 

This  initial  number  of  The  Essay  has  a  history 
peculiarly  its  own.  Of  the  copies  still  known  to  exist, 
one  was  possessed  for  a  short  time  by  a  friend  of  the 
publisher,  whose  home  was  in  Utica,  N.  Y.  Perhaps 
it  had  been  sent  by  Mr.  Miller  himself  to  his  home  town; 
for  we  know  that  prior  to  1809  he  had  resided  there. 
From  Utica,  it  was  sent  to  Isaiah  Thomas,  of  Worcester, 
who  was  writing  a  history  of  printing  in  America. 
The  following  note,  written  in  the  margin  of  the  first 
pa,ge  of  the  periodical,  suggests  at  least  that  there 
might  have  been  more  than  one  issue: 

UTICA,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  31,  1810. 

SIR: 

I  send  you  this  paper  published  by  a  friend  of  mine 

to  insert  in  your   'History  of   Printing.'     If  he  sees  your 

advertisement   he   will   send   you   more,    perhaps,    of   later 

date. 

We  have  no  conclusive  evidence  that  more  than 
one  number  was  issued. f  Brown's  Campaign  of  the 
Western  Army  incidentally  mentions  that  "only  three 
numbers  were  issued,"  but  this  must  not  be  regarded 
as  an  authentic  statement,  since  the  author  seems 
merely  to  indicate  that  the  paper  had  a  very  brief 
existence. 

After  the  discovery  of  the  copy  already  described 
three  others  were  found  in  the  city  of  Detroit.  One  of 
these  numbers,  held  for  over  fifty  years  by  Thomas 


*  History  of  Detroit  and  Michigan  by  Silas  Farmer,  Vol. 
I,  pp.  670-671.  See  also  Records  and  Studies  of  Cath.  Hist. 
Soc.  of  N.  Y.  cited  above. 

t  The  Michigan  Pioneer  and  Historical  Collection  says 
that  eight  or  nine  copies  appeared  but  no  other  testimony  is 
furnished  to  support  this  claim.  It  is  accompanied  with  some 
misstatement  of  facts. 


THE    MICHIGAN    ESSAY  9 

Lee,  of  Leeville,  recently  came  into  the  possession  of 
H.  E.  Baker  of  the  Detroit  Tribune.  Another  copy  was 
saved  from  oblivion  by  William  Michell  who  discovered 
it  among  some  old  papers.  A  third  copy  of  Vol.  i,  No.  i. 
is  at  present  in  the  Detroit  Public  Library.  There  was 
still  another  number  of  this  issue  in  the  old  Detroit 
Museum.  We  may  suppose  that  this  remaining  copy 
is  still  in  existence  although  we  have  no  accurate  in- 
formation concerning  it. 

When  the  Michigan  Essay  or  Impartial  Observer 
was  introduced  to  the  people  it  was  a  four  page  paper, 
nine  and  one-quarter  inches  by  sixteen  inches  in  size. 
The  statement,  so  frequently  repeated  that  the  paper 
was  printed  mostly  in  French  is  unreliable.  That  the 
periodical  was  called  the  " Essai  du  Michigan"  is  also 
without  foundation.  An  examination  of  the  first  number 
reveals  the  fact  that  there  were  only  one  and  a  half 
columns  in  French,  and  that  the  remainder  of  the 
paper  as  well  as  the  title  were  in  English.* 

There  is  nothing  in  the  first  issue  to  indicate  that 
the  Essay  was  to  be  the  mouth-piece  of  the  Catholics 
of  Michigan.  Its  columns  were  open  to  any  gentle- 
man of  talent,  provided  he  abstained  from  con- 
troversy. We  can  reasonably  suppose,  however,  that 
it  was  the  intention  of  the  founder  to  reflect,  in  some 
measure  at  least,  the  opinion  of  the  Catholic  people 
in  the  territory.  The  most  we  can  claim  for  the  Essay, 
then,  is  that  it  was  a  semi-Catholic  periodical.  This 
conclusion  is  based  principally  upon  the  circumstances 
attending  its  establishment.  Its  chief  purpose  was 
to  inform,  to  entertain  and  to  educate.  Articles  from 


*  History  of  Detroit  and  Michigan  by  Silas  Farmer  cited 
above.  Also  Records  and  Studies  of  the  U.  S.  Cath.  Hist.  Soc. 
of  N.  Y.  cited  above. 


10  f        THE    MICHIGAN    ESSAY 

various  newspapers,  foreign  and  domestic,  furnished 
the  bulk  of  the  news  section.  The  items  of  foreign 
interest  were  taken  mainly  from  the  London  Morning 
Chronicle  and  the  Liverpool  Aurora;  and  such  infor- 
mation appeared  four  or  five  months  after  the  events 
occurred.  Incidents  printed  four,  or  five  weeks  before 
in  the  New  York  Spectator,  the  Pittsburg  Commonwealth, 
and  the  Boston  Mirror  were  news  for  the  Essay.  Strange 
to  say  there  was  not  one  item  of  local  interest  in  the 
first  issue  of  sixteen  columns ;  and  but  one  short  notice 
that  bears  somewhat  of  the  nature  of  an  editorial  in 
which  the  publisher  makes  clear  that  he  intends  to 
assume  an  impartial  attitude  in  political  affairs,  and 
invites  contributions  for  his  newspaper  from  all  gentle- 
men of  talent. 

It  must  have  been  the  intention  of  the  publisher 
to  print  from  time  to  time  the  original  verse  or  selections 
from  the  English  poets,  with  the  view,  no  doubt,  of 
entertaining  readers,  and  at  the  same  time  creating 
in  them  a  taste  for  good  literature.  At  any  rate,  we 
see  in  this  first  issue  excepts  from  Young's  Night 
Thoughts  entitled  Futurity;  also  two  other  poem< 


on  Evening  and  Happiness.  There  were  also  prose^ 
on  Politeness,  Early  Rising,  and  Husbandry.  A  very 
peculiar  arrangement  was  made  about  subscription 
rates.  One  would  naturally  expect  that  city  subscribers 
on  account  of  their  proximity  to  the  office  would  receive 
the  paper  cheaper  than  outsiders.  On  the  contrary, 
the  people  of  Detroit  were  asked  to  pay  five  dollars 
a  year ;  residents  of  Upper  Canada  and  Michigan 
four  and  a  half  dollars;  while  the  more  distant  sub- 
scribers could  receive  it  for  four  dollars.  Advertising 
space  did  not  exceed  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  a 
square  for  the  first  three  insertions  and  twenty-five 


THE    MICHIGAN    KSSAY  II 

cents  a  square  for  each  subsequent  one.*  Only  one 
advertisement  appeared  in  the  first  issue,  that  "of  St. 
Anne's  School.  The  publisher 'also  gives  notice  that  he 
is  about  to  print  several  works;  among  others  he 
mentions  ' '  Nine  Days  Devotion  to  the  Sacred  Heart 
of  Jesus." t 

This  periodical  like  a  frail  and  delicate  morning- 
glory  lifted  up  its  ambitious  head  to  the  rising  light  of 
progress  but  withered  away  in  the  noon-day  sun  of 
one  hot  August  day.  Why  did  this  venture  into  the 
field  of  journalism  fail  so  prematurely?  It  has  been 
said  that  the  Essay  perished  on  account  of  insufficient 
patronage.  J  Perhaps  if  Father  Richard  could  have 
given  to  this  work  his  personal  attention  this  project 
would  have  had  a  measure  of  success.  Perhaps  also  if 
the  subscription  price  was  more  reasonable  the  paper, 
small  as  it  was,  would  have  found  many  patrons.  We 
know  that  journals  of  later  and  better  times  and  of 
more  advantageous  circumstances  barely  subsisted,  and 
some  even  suspended  publication  for  a  while,  because 
they  were  not  making  expenses. 

Though  the  Essay  was  so  early  doomed  to  failure, 
its  press  continued  in  service  for  a  number  of  years. 
Several  publications  of  a  religious  and  of  an  educational 
character  were  printed.  Many  books  of  devotion, 
tracts,  prayer-books  and  catechisms  in  the  Indian 
dialect  and  in  the  French,  but  set  up  in  English  type, 
were  published  for  Father  Richard's  missions  throughout 


*  History  of  Detroit  and  Michigan  by  Silas  Farmer,  cited 
above.  See  also  Records  and  Studies  of  the  U.  S.  Cath.  Hist. 
Soc.  cited  above. 

f  American  Catholic  Quarterly,  Phila.  1893  Vol.  18,  p. 
98.  See  also  Records  and  Studies  of  U.  S.  Cath.  Hist.  Soc* 
cited  above. 

|  Michigan   Historical  and   Pioneer  Collection  Vol.   VI. 


12  THE)    MICHIGAN    ESSAY 

the  territory.*  Even  the  laws  and  the  official  documents 
of  the  Territory  were  run  off  on  this  small  hand-press, 
and  a  biographer  of  good  Father  Richard  states  that 
"he  always  made  sure  that  this  work  was  properly 
executed."!  For  a  while  the  type-setting  was  done 
by  Mr.  A  Coxshaw,  who  came  west  in  iSoQ.J  General 
Brock's  proclamation  during  the  War  of  1812  was 
printed  by  this  press.  After  the  war  many  newspapers 
sprang  into  existence  in  Michigan,  but  the  one  that 
still  remains  the  proud  boast  of  the  people  is  that 
pioneer  of  them  all,  the  Michigan  Essay  or  Impartial 
Observer. 

*  Ibid.  Vol.  XIII.  Also  Records  and  Studies  of  the  U,  S. 
Cath.  Hist.  Society  of  New  York,  Vol.  V  Part  I,  p.  87. 

t  Cyclopedia  of  Michigan,  Historical  and  Biographical, 
Western  Publishing  and  Engraving  Company.  Article  on  Rev. 
Gabriel  Richard,  p.  321. 

|  American  Catholic  Quarterly,  Philadelphia,  1893  Vol. 
XVIII,  p.  95  et  seq. 


Errata 

On  p.    7  frfettz  for  Mettez 
On  p. 10  except  for  excerpt 


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